Should I up my calorie intake??

brctheresa

I started working out last September and I've gone down 3 sizes and about 6-7 inches (I think...I haven't measured in a long time). I have been in a plateau for about 2 months and have only lost 3lbs...but I've gained a ton of muscle. I still eat "right" and haven't changed much in my diet but my workouts change every 2-3 months and my trainer is pushing me more and more and there is definitely more weights involved.
So in regards to my question I have just been feeling so hungry here lately! I want to eat everything so I pick at a lot of little things.
I weigh 288lbs and I eat (or try to only eat) 1800 calories a day. I workout 3X a week and my workouts are 20-30min of strength training and I'm now up to running for 18 min straight as well.
I'm scared to increase my daily intake because I'm still not losing as much but I know the more muscle I'm building is burning fat so maybe that's what's making me so hungry...? Any suggestions?

janejellyroll

How do you know you've gained tons of muscle?

dubird

If you're burning more calories than you were before, then yes, you can up the amount you eat. Be careful how much you up it, though, as getting the number of calories burned is not an exact science. Unless you're using a heart rate monitor and calculating it that way, you could be WAY off! Even with a HRM it's not 100% accurate, but you'll get close enough.

Also, have you tried adjusting the times of day you eat? Maybe split your daily calories up differently and see what foods make you feel fuller longer. Split off 200ish calories to enjoy something after your workouts. You may not need to up your calorie intake if you rearrange your eating times, so it's worth looking in to.

Asher_Ethan

You say you TRY to only eat 1800 calories. Do you find yourself hungry all the time and end up in binges that you don't log? If so, then yes you should raise your calories so you're not so hungry all the time.